Clay-forming die



Sept. 16, .1924.

D. BROWN CLAY FORMING DIE- Filed July 18. 1923 Patented Sept. 416, 1 924.

narran stares DAVIS BROWN, F BUCYRUS, OHIO.

CLAY-romaine :om

application mea myy 1e, 192e. serial no. 652,222.

\ ication. f

My invention has for its object to provide in a clay formin die,such as for producing hollowvware of' ierent kinds, such as that usedl in making fire proof walls and partitions of buildings and in forming conduits and the like, a means'whereby the expressed clay will be extruded at a uniform rate in all parts of the die. My invention thus pro-r vides a means whereby the clay will be'compressed to a uniform degree and ga 4s or `voids will be entirely eliminated, an the clay formed will be produced without internal strains that cause `fracture or cleavage when or after the clay has been tired. The inventionalso provides a sectional die plate or finisher, parts of which may be used in connection with dies of different sizes to produce hollow ware of different sizes, and the other parts being so constructed that they may be readily ound to adjust them to variations in the c ay shrinkage and to slight variations in the sizes caused by wear in the use of the die to maintain production of ware of standard or uniform slzes.

The invention may be contained in dies of different shapes and forms. To illustrate F1 3. v 'ghe die comprises the former 5 and the finisher orsizer 6.4 The former 5 1s usuallymade of cast iron and is provided' a ange 27 for connecting the die to a machine for forcing the clay into and throu h the die, auch as an auger located in a cy der. When the clay is forced' into .the die it follows the law of uids and tendsto How in the paths of least resistance. Theclay thus tends to iiow throu h the central portions rather than through the 'end portlons. Thls produces variations in the clay density and internal strains in the clay when formed, which appear after the clay has been red. It produces mechanical weakness that causes fracture upon a comparatively slight jar or external strain. In order to produce free movement at the walls of the former 5 and, substantially, the same movement that is produced in the central areas of the moving clay I have provided a means for lubricating/the surfaces of the former. The wall ofthe former is cored a-t a point slightly remote from the smaller end of the former so-as to form an opening 7 that is located within the wall and extends completely around the former. The opening 7 is con- ,nected with a pipe 8 which may be connected to a source of a lubricant under pressure, such as oil, Water or steam. A -plurality of openings 9 may be formed from the exterior surface of the wallof the former to the opening 7 at a number of points around the former. The openings 9 may be formed in bosses 10. Smaller openings 11 may be formed in the wall of the former 5 to establish a communication between the passageway 7 and the interior of the former. A plug 12 may be threaded into each opening 9 and a needle valve 13 may be threaded into the plug 12 and so as to control the ow of the oil from the passageway 7 through the openings I1. Oil, if oil is used, may be supplied through the pipe 8 to the passageway 7 and through the openings 11 at a pressure suicient to overcome the pressure produced by the clay at the point of the openings 11 suiiicient to cause a very small quantity of the oil to enter the space between the clay and the inner surface ot the former and thus lto lubricate the clay and permit it to slip along the surface of the ormer with substantially the same readiness that it moves through the central portions of the former. v

By this means the wear on the inner edges of the finisher is greatly reduced, and futhermore, localization of the wear is practicall eliminated. This greatly increases the li e;

of a given size of the finisher. Thus finishers of different sizes 'may be used for very much lon er periods of time. I

e resistance to the clay movement is `greatly increased inthe formation of hollow ware since in order to form` lthe hollow were,

cores are located in the former that constrict the moving clay and requires a greater increase of pressure to express the clay. This magnifies the diversion of the clay from the surface of the former and increases locally the wear on thev die. The use of the -lubricator is therefore of particular value when used in machines for forming hollow ware of the character described.

In the form of construction shown, the cores 14 are secured to a frame 15 which lis `locked from forward movement in the former 5, the ends of one of the cross bars of the frame 15 being stepped or securedin the recesses 16 formed in the former 5. The cores 14 are secured to the frame 15 by means of the bolts 1 7. They may be made of any suitable shape in order to properly direct and shape the clay as it exudes from the machine.

Finishers or sizers of different sizes could be used, but to compensate for the wear of the finisher or sizer I have provided a sectional finisher or sizer. This is of -particular advantage since the wear of the ordinary finisher or sizer may be comparatively lslight to render it useless for the particular size.

for which it is intended, that is, the size may soon 'become too large for the particular size tile or other hollow ware that- -is intended tobe produced by it and yet the sizer will still be too small for the next larger size tile or hollow ware. Furthermore, the wear may be local, as at the sides of the finisher. This slight change in size is readily com nsated for in the use of the sectional finisher or sizer involving Vmy inv ention. A further advantage of the sectional finisher or. sizer 1s thatv parts may be 'used for a number of sizes of finishers or.

the differences in the sizes being prosizers, vided for in the dimensions of the other parts. These parts when put together may thus be utilized for roducing finisher or sizers to produce ho ow ware of different standard sizes, and for. tractions.

The finisher or sizer is provided 'with four parts or corner pieces 18, two side different clay con.-

pieces 19 and two side endpieces 20. The parts 18 to 2O are provided with suitable bosses in which are loca-ted slots 21. They are secured in position on the delivery end of the former 5 by means of cap screws 22 that pass through the slots 21. The slots 21 provlde for adjustment of the parts 18 to 20 relative to the cap screws 22 and the end of the former 5. The parts are placed together so as to forni a rectangle, that is, so as to form Athe finisher or sizer and to place the finisher or sizer thus formed in its proper relation to the end ofthe former 5. Inasmuch as the clay` is formed by being expressed between -the core heads 14: and the inner edges of the finisher or sizer the inner edge is subject to wear, with the result 'that the hollow ware will in time become over? sized. Instead of requiring a new finisher or sizer, in order to maintain the hollow ware produced at a standard size, -all that is necessary is to grind the ends of parts of the sectional finisher or sizer in order that the edges may be placed closer towards the center of the finisher or sizer. The worn outlet may thus be constricted to the original size, that is, the siz'e that will produce hollow ware of a given standard size. Preferably the ends of the corner pieces 18 are ground down so that the sizeof the finisher may be maintained.

Another advantage of the sectional finisher or sizer is that hollow ware of different sizes may be produced by providing merely a set of corners and using different sized side pieces 19 and end pieces 20, or by using different sized central pieces. A set of corner pieces may then be used with central pieces of different lengths to produce th different sizes of' hollow ware. 1

I claims l i a In a clayzforming die, a former, a finisher formed `of fcorner and side sections, and means...fon, adjustably securing the sections relative to the-former and to each other.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

DAvrs BROWN. 

